X-planes: Are they needed in the new era of drones?
Image source, NASA/Carla Thomas Image caption, The long nose of the X-59 is designed to damped the plane's sonic boom By Michael Dempsey Technology Reporter Published 3 hours ago There's a weird and wonderful jet flying over the US. It has the nose of anteater, parts cannibalised from other planes and a cockpit so far back the pilot depends on a camera to see where he's going. This contraption, the X-59, might just be the future of air travel. The X-59's owes its eccentric design to the problem of sonic booms. The shockwave created by a jet breaking the sound barrier restricted Concorde to flights over the sea and barred it from lucrative routes across the US. Now Nasa is working around that problem using the X-59's elongated snout to flatten supersonic booms into tolerable bumps in the background. On top of its bizarre appearance the X-59 boasts a remarkable lineage. It's the latest in a series of experimental Nasa aircraft dating back to 1947 and the fir...
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